


Christmas 1928

by aljohnson



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:32:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2843132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aljohnson/pseuds/aljohnson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A brief little one-shot, set at Christmas 1928.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas 1928

Given the heat, and the quiet at the station, Jack had allowed himself the informality of removing his jacket. As he sat in the chair, working towards the end of his task of tidying the station’s front desk area, the front door opened quietly. Jack sighed, he had very much hoped to be able to get through today without having to deal with any of Melbourne’s criminal element. He looked up, reaching for the desk notepad and a pen, to take down the visitor’s complaint. He was somewhat surprised therefore when a picnic basket appeared on the desktop, placed there by a very summery looking Phryne Fisher.

“Miss Fisher?” Jack asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you Jack, as its Christmas. Can I come round?” she pushed the basket towards him, as if to tip the odds in her favour.

“I’ve learnt by now Miss Fisher, that saying ‘no’ to you is pointless. Yes, come round” he waved towards the low swing door leading to his side of the counter. He started to lift the tea towel which was covering the contents of the basket as Phryne rushed around the corner to join him. Noting a distinct lack of additional seating, she hopped up onto the counter, arranging herself delicately.

“So Jack, how come you are here, all by yourself, on Christmas Day?” she asked, taking the tea towel from Jack’s hand, and swiftly reaching into the basket to offer a still warm serving dish to Jack. 

“Well someone has to keep an eye on things Miss Fisher” replied Jack, rooting in the basket for cutlery. The dish contained turkey, roast potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding and a selection of vegetables. Phryne produced a hip flask from the side of the basket and unscrewed the top.

“Gravy, Inspector?” she proffered the canister. 

Jack smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Thank you” he said, taking the hip flask from Phryne and carefully pouring the contents onto his meal. He sat and ate eagerly as Phryne watched him. He looked as if he had not eaten all day. As he reached the end of the plate of food, he smiled at Phryne, “my compliments to the chef”

“Mr Butler will be pleased. But I ask again Jack, why are you here, all by yourself, for what Hugh tells me is the fourth consecutive year?” Phryne asked, with a gentle smile.

“Well, Christmas is a time for family, Miss Fisher. Better to let the men who have children spend the day with them, rather than making them work. We’re usually fairly quiet anyway. You’re the first person I’ve seen all day” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“I don’t like to think of you here all on your own, Jack” Phryne pouted.

“Better than sitting in my house all on my own. At least the station is looking tidier. I don’t know what they teach Constables these days…” his voice trailed off as Phryne offered a bowl with Christmas Pudding, pouring custard from a flask. 

“Hmm” said Phryne, watching as Jack eagerly tucked in. “No family at all, Jack?” she asked, attempting to divert her wandering mind. She could see the outline of his biceps through his shirt sleeves. Her attempts to seduce Jack recently had gone seriously awry, and she could see that he wasn’t really in an emotional state to allow himself to enter into a seduction with any enthusiasm. Maybe it wasn’t to be? Maybe it just wasn’t to be, yet? 

“Not even a disgruntled wife, this year” he admitted.

“Ah. I did mean to ask, how was the Court Case?” she asked, somewhat shyly.

“I would ask how you know, but I assume you wheedled the information out of Collins?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“He was concerned about you Jack” she replied.

“And you’re very persuasive, as I’m learning,” he paused, setting the spoon back in the bowl, now swept clean. “Decree Nisi” he said, with resignation, “the marriage has irretrievably broken down.” 

“Oh, Jack. I am sorry” Phryne looked genuinely sorrowful.

“Not your fault, Miss Fisher” he sighed. “In the end, it was her idea. And I realised that whilst I was perfectly content to be miserable forever, it wasn’t fair to ask her to be too” he shrugged.

“No-one deserves to be miserable forever, Jack, even if it would be the noble thing to do” Phryne tipped her head carefully towards him, an apologetic smile crossing her face. 

“Perhaps not, Miss Fisher” he responded, sitting back in his chair and stretching out. 

Phryne smiled, he really was very handsome. She reached into the basket, extracting a small box, wrapped with a ribbon bow. She offered it to Jack.

“What’s this?” he asked, confused.

“It’s Christmas, Jack. It’s a Christmas present” she replied, feeling she was stating the obvious. 

“For me?” Jack was genuinely perplexed.

“A small token, Jack. Partially an apology,” she explained.

“An apology Miss Fisher? For what?” he was still very unsure about this. Knowing Miss Fisher, the box could contain anything, quite possibly something intended to entirely scandalise him. She had attempted, somewhat bluntly, to seduce him only recently, and, despite his better intentions, he had almost allowed himself to succumb. He swallowed, nervously.

“For barging into your crime scenes and causing havoc. I do realise that I am not the easiest person in the world to tolerate, and you have been, very understanding, especially to a Lady Detective. Now Jack, open your present” she smiled.

Jack took the box from her, nervously. He gingerly loosened the ribbon, and slid the lid off the box. “Oh” he said, picking the tie from the box. It was blue, silk, discreetly patterned. It was not at all what he would have expected. The tie had been arranged carefully around a small black box, which he reached for now. He flipped the lid open. The box contained a set of matching cufflinks. The gift was personal, whilst managing to just skirt away from intimate. “This is too much” he said.

“It’s barely enough, Jack. Happy Christmas” Phryne smiled. The blue of the silk had been calculated to match the colour of his eyes. Not, of course, that she had been looking. 

“I haven’t got you anything” Jack said, standing from his chair. He placed the pudding bowl back into the basket, and noticed the greenery. Picking it up, he held it between himself and Miss Fisher, managing to convey suspicion with the subtle raise of one eyebrow. 

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Mistletoe, Jack. Apparently traditional, according to Jane. I do try not to encourage her, but….” Phryne went quiet. Seduction having failed, and her having accepted that it was not to be, she was still holding out hope for a Christmas kiss. 

“I’m not sure I’m a very traditional man, Miss Fisher” Jack responded, a low growl to his voice. 

“Well, I did tell her you wouldn’t be compelled into anything” Phryne replied, resigned now to Jack’s complete inability to be swayed.

Jack moved towards Phryne, pointedly returning the white-budded branch to the basket. He tentatively reached out a hand, and placed it around her waist. “But thank you for my present” he whispered. He reached up his other hand, lightly stroking a finger down her cheek. A ‘thank you’ kiss was not too much, surely? They were all alone, and no-one need ever know. 

Jack reached out, and delicately kissed Phryne on the lips. She was warm, and her lips soft, and he was sure he heard her sigh as he moved his lips carefully over hers. He allowed himself to deepen the kiss, finding Phryne was responsive to his advances. Phryne felt herself melting slightly into Jack’s embrace. He was a remarkably good kisser; his almost ex-wife must be irrational to have wanted to divorce him. ‘Almost ex-wife’. ‘Nisi’ was not ‘Absolute’. He was still legally, technically, married. Phryne broke the kiss, somewhat reluctantly. She swept a finger along his jawline, before leaning back and loosening her other arm, which had wound, almost instinctively around his back and neck. 

“Merry Christmas, Miss Fisher” rumbled Jack, “thank you for my present”

“It was my pleasure Jack.” Phryne moved forward, as Jack resumed his seat. She hopped off the counter top and carefully stowed the serving dish and cutlery back in the basket. “I hope you’re not working till too late?” she asked.

Jack glanced at his watch, “an hour until the night shift relieves me” he smiled, “this was, remarkably thoughtful, thank you” he paused, and accompanied Phryne to the station door, opening it for her to step through. 

“Will I see you again soon?” Phryne asked.

“I have no doubt, Miss Fisher, that you will stumble into one of my crime scenes. I will try not to be too exasperated” he said, lightly. It was still light outside, the warm summer day still refusing to yield to night.

“And I will try not to be too aggravating. Good night Jack” she brushed past him, and down the street, alighting into her Hispano. 

Jack decided to overlook the fact that she had parked illegally. He leaned against the door frame of the station door, sliding his hands into his pockets as he watched her start the engine and drive off. He also decided to overlook the fact that she already appeared to be speeding. It had turned out, he thought, to be a much better Christmas Day than he could possibly have anticipated.


End file.
